Sumpter Twp. board approves early-voting plan under protest

The Sumpter Township Board of Trustees approved the state constitution’s new early-voting plan at its Oct. 10 regular meeting, but most of the votes were under protest.
Trustee Tim Rush said he finds the plan “completely offensive” and it will take $6,000 for manpower to comply as well as an unknown additional figure for equipment cost.
He said when voters passed Proposition 2 in 2022, which put this into the state constitution, they didn’t know what they were voting for. He said he voted against it.
“I will be voting yes on this under protest,” he said of that evening’s approval.
Trustee Matthew Oddy agreed with Rush, saying there is no money being provided for compliance and this will be a problem for 735 townships in the state. He agreed people didn’t realize what this proposal would bring.
Clerk Esther Hurst said the new voting procedure allows for nine days of voting with a separate staff and more equipment. Voters will mark their ballots and put them into the machines, but the totals won’t be tallied until election day.
“It’s a headache, but it’s election law,” she said.
She also said the township now will have to put postage on the return envelope and the cost of postage is going up. She said this is a big problem for clerks.
Treasurer Bart Patterson agreed that people didn’t know what they were voting for when they passed that proposal.
Trustee Don LaPorte said he agreed with resident Mary Ban’s proposal to go back to voting on one day, using paper ballots.
Attorney Rob Young said the people of Michigan passed it and it is now a Constitutional Amendment.
Clerk Hurst said it doesn’t take effect until next year, but there are three elections.
Hurst said they will hire election workers at $12 an hour for eight hours those extra days.
In other business at the one-hour-and-15-minute workshop/regular meeting, the board:
• Approved purchase of nine sets of police department body armor for $10,200 to be paid from forfeiture funds. Public Safety Director/Police Chief Eric Luke said this is part of a normal replacement scheduled every five years to comply with the life of the items;
• Approved sending Sergeants George Salajan and Bart Devos to the Eastern Michigan University School of Police Staff & Command at a total cost of $7,000. Funds will be dispersed from the 302 training account from the state. Director Luke said this is required in the department for every new sergeant. Trustee Oddy asked if they can be required to remain at the department after training and Luke said when they get to this rank, the chances they’ll leave is slim;
• Voted to receive and file reports, after a motion by Supervisor Tim Bowman and second by Rush. No public reports were given by the supervisor, attorney, police / ordinance, building, or fire officials;
• Heard Trustee LaPorte read a proclamation on Fire Safety Week, noting many fires start in the kitchen and a family evacuation plan is important. He later announced a fire department open house on Oct. 14;
• Heard a lengthy report from Township Manager Anthony Burdick concerning: options for the ongoing recycling problem, the Dec. 14 Holiday Meal for staff in the community center, putting up the larger warning signs at Sherwood Pond, an animal control project, and how to get back community events and activities;
• Heard resident Mary Ban ask about why the county is just mowing parts of roadsides. She also said that when voters vote more than one day and “vote and vote and vote,” that’s what brings voter fraud. She also asked about more information on the Belleville Area Museum, which has stopped having committee meetings; and
• Heard resident Mary Herring, with her mouth close to the microphone, say she quit coming to meetings because she couldn’t hear what the board members were saying and it was like they were just talking to each other. She addressed Oddy, saying she loved him, but he mumbles and does not speak up. When she watches the meetings on video she cannot hear. She asked if they had microphones and if so, “Use the damn things.” She said board members need to practice speaking up. She also complained about not being able to get recent meetings on YouTube. She said she doesn’t do website or computers and many in Sumpter don’t have computers. She used to be able to see the meetings on cable channel 12, so she asked Karen for the times and Karen said 10, 3, 7 and so she tried those times and there was nothing. It’s downright frustrating, she said. She also asked about getting people to mow the ditches and their yards. Rush said the meetings are posted on the website the day after the meeting and Trustee Peggy Morgan said they actually are being posted the Friday following the Tuesday meeting.